Abstract: TiN/NbN multilayers on steel substrates (SKD11) are produced using DC magnetron
sputtering process. The multilayer obtained are characterized in composition by means of X-ray
diffraction techniques, Microhardness and adhesion to the substrate were studied by atomic force
microscopy and scratch tests. The morphological analysis and coating structure are studied using
scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The film thickness is measured by a stylus
profiler (XP-2 stylus profiler). Wear tests were performed on pin-on-disk configuration and dry sliding
conditions, at 5N load by using hardened steel ball. On mechanical properties, higher Young’s modulus
and hardness values follow to increase the TiN/NbN layers number. The multilayer films of 64 layers at
500°C 1h annealing indicated that the microhardness and Young’s modulus had the highest values.

Abstract: In this study, we investigate a facet of the fabrication process of chromium nitride (CrN) film intended as a protective coating for pineapple blades. CrN thin films were deposited on unpolished stainless steel substrates (AISI304) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in Ar+N2 gases. In principle, the proportion of nitrogen partial pressure to the total pressure in the sputtering process should have considerable effects on the CrN film’s chemical composition, its crystal structure, its hardness, and its corrosion resistance. We tested this supposition out by using several different nitrogen partial pressures in the sputtering process and observed the films deposited. The coatings were deposited at five different nitrogen partial pressures of 4.0x10-4 mbar, 8.0x10-4 mbar, 1.2x10-3 mbar, 1.6x10-3 mbar, and 2.0x10-3. The deposition times were controlled to achieve 5-µm thick films in each deposition. The films were analyzed by several analytical methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, micro-hardness and potentiostat in pineapple juice. The XRD spectra of the films showed face-centered cubic structure with (200) preferred orientation, positively identifying them as Cr2N and CrN thin films. The calculated d-spacing and lattice parameter of the CrN films increased with increasing nitrogen partial pressure; the ranges were 0.283–0.287 nm and 0.491-0.497 nm, respectively. The cross-section morphology of the CrN films reveals the columnar grain growth with a high density. The crystal structure and the grain texture correspond with the hardness property. The films corrosion potential, an indicator of their corrosion property, was varied from -0.14 to -0.05 volts with varying nitrogen pressure. The most corrosion resistant and the good hardness were the film fabricated at the nitrogen partial pressure of 1.2x10-3 mbar.

Abstract: A reel-to-reel deposition system was set up for studying YBCO coated conductor.
Continuous deposition of multi-layer CeO2/YSZ/Y2O3 buffer layers was carried out on 10mm-width
biaxially textured tape of NiW using the reactive dc magnetron sputtering technique. A continuous
and uniform buffer layer with good texture was presented over length. For 10–meter-long tapes, the
φ-scan FWHM values of Y2O3 (222), YSZ (111), and CeO2 (111) were 7.77°, 7.68° and 7.93°,
respectively. The rocking curves showed that the average FWHM values of Y2O3 (004), YSZ (002),
and CeO2 (002) were 5.02°, 4.67° and 4.44°, respectively. The microstructure and interfaces of buffer
layers were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Auger electron spectrum (AES).
YBCO layer was prepared by magnetron sputtering technique as well on the short samples.

Abstract: Abstract: Alumina (Al2O3) thin films were deposited over glass and Si substrates by DC reactive magnetron sputtering at an oxygen partial pressure of 0.03 Pa. The presence of aluminium and oxygen was confirmed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the films were found to be nearly stoichiometric or oxygen rich at a sputtering power of 70 W and 60 W, respectively. The as-deposited films were found to be amorphous. Subsequent annealing experiments in vacuum revealed that crystallisation started at 550oC and increased thereafter at higher annealing temperatures for those films deposited at a sputtering power of 70 W. The topography of the as-deposited and annealed films was analyzed by Atomic force microscopy and a progressive increase in the rms roughness of the films was observed with increase in the annealing temperature and the results are discussed

Abstract: The ZnO and ZnO:Ce thin films were prepared by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The structure, surface morphology, optical and photoluminescence properties of ZnO:Ce thin films were investigated. The XRD results indicated that all the samples exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The surface morphology of the films was sensitive to the Ce concentration. All the films had a higher average transmittance (more than 85%) in the visible region and a strong absorption near the band-edge of ZnO. The photoluminescence properties of the Ce-doped ZnO thin films were also studied. Blue emissions were observed from the ZnO:Ce thin films. Our results indicated that the photoluminescence properties of ZnO thin films doped with low Ce concentration were related to the intrinsic transition of Ce3+ ions. However, when the Ce concentration increased, Zni also played an important role.

Abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films have been deposited on Si-wafer and glass slide by DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique at different O2 gas flow rates. The crystal structure was characterized by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), surface morphology was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and disinfection of surfaces by photo catalytic oxidation with TiO2 and UV light irradiation. The results showed that, from GIXRD results, all as-deposited TiO2 films have crystal structure of TiO2 corresponding to the A(101) and A(200). AFM results showed that the film thicknesses increase from 183 nm to 238 nm with increasing of O2 gas flow rate, while the film roughness was in range of 4.8 nm to 5.9 nm. The as-deposited anatase TiO2 thin film in this work can kill the bacteria when expose to the UV light.

Abstract: This article reports on a new class of amorphous a-Si3N4/MeNx nanocomposite coatings
with a high (≥50 vol.%) content of Si3N4 phase; here Me=Zr, Ta, Mo and W. These nanocomposites
exhibit high (>1000°C) thermal stability against crystallization and high (>1000 °C) oxidation
resistance if the metal Me incorporated in the nanocomposite is correctly selected. It was found that
the Zr-Si-N film deposited on Si(100) substrate exhibits no increase of the mass (m=0) in
thermogravimetric measurements performed in flowing air up to 1300 °C, i.e. up to the temperature
that is the thermal limit for Si substrate but not for nanocomposite.

Abstract: In this study, multilayers of TiN/NbN were deposited by d.c. magnetron sputtering on die steel substrates. The structure, morphology and nano-hardness were assessed using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM), stylus profiler (XP-2 stylus profiler) and nanoindentation, respectively. Wear tests were performed on pin-on-disk configuration and dry sliding conditions, at 5N load by using hardened steel ball. The result shows TiN with highly (111) preferred orientation. On mechanical properties, Young’s modulus and hardness values increase for layers number increase. At 64 layers films had the highest nano-hardness, Young’s modulus values. The TiN/NbN multilayer films presented changes in its morphology becoming more granulated and density after heating up to 500°C. A significant decrease in friction coefficient has been achieved for TiN/NbN multilayers against steel ball.

Abstract: The direct current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering of a metal copper target in oxygen-argon mixed atmospheres to produce thin films of crystalline copper oxides was described. The sputtering pressure, sputtering power and oxygen flow rate were established in order to control the structures and properties of Cu2O films. The as-deposited Cu2O films with various crystal structures have high visible absorption and photo-catalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The photo-catalytic properties of Cu2O films are affected by not only the crystal structure but also the surface morphology.

Abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films, 80-170 nm thick were deposited on unheated silicon wafers (100) and glass slides with controlled operating pressure in UHV dc sputtering system with a pressure control gate valve. The dependence of hydrophilic property of the films on the total sputtering pressure of mixed Ar and O2 gases (1-10 mTorr) was investigated. We found that hydrophilic activity as well as the structural and optical properties of the films were strongly related to the pressure maintained during the deposition. The TiO2 film structure and surface morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The optical constants of the TiO2 films was determined by SE. XRD showed that the films deposited between 1 – 5 mTorr had both anatase and rutile phase, but the rutile component reduced as the pressure increased. Only anatase peaks were obtained for the films deposited at pressure >5 mTorr. The AFM surface roughness decreased from 4.0 to 1.8 nm as the pressure increased from 1 – 10 mTorr. The contact angle measurement was used to determine the hydrophilicity of the films after exposed to UV light. I